Broken Top
by de tournesol amour
Summary: Her life was like a broken top. Never creating a routine, always wobbling and having problems. Never finding good results. Yet, she was with him. That was the only thing that mattered. They were in love. They were in this life- together. AU. Prim was never reaped... ONE-SHOT.


**Everyone is doing stories with Gadge homelife. SO IT'S MY TURN. ****AU. Prim was never reaped. Life went on and Gadge eventually happened. Hope you love it as much as I do!**

Madge looked down at the grime on her fingernails. She picked at the crevices and creases in the water tub in the sink. She sighed, giving up. She threw her hands back and forth to wash the water off her hands and then reached for a ripped towel hanging above her. She had been sick recently. Gale had told her to rest but she was anxious to start working around the house again. There was just too much to be done.

The roof had to be patched up, the floor was covered with coal dust and dirt, the sink had a leak, the bed sheets had to be cleaned, and the light over the kitchen table was out. The list kept growing. Madge looked over at the clock. That's when she realized that dinner had to be on the table soon. For, Gale would be home from the mines in an hour. Madge looked up at the barren cabinets. Her stomach rumbled.

Her mouth watered for crisp apple crumble and a large ham with a glaze that her cooks used to make. There was a knock at the door that snapped Madge out of her food fantasy. She turned the doorknob and pulled the door open. Katniss was tapping her foot on the mat outside the front door. Her game bag was thrown over one shoulder. Her gray eyes darted around the empty seam. "Hello" Madge smiled and tried to hide her hands.

She ended up leaving them beneath her dull blue apron. Madge stood aside letting her friend enter the small house. "I brought a few things you may want for dinner" Katniss said, dropping the bag onto the kitchen table. Madge crossed her arms and looked into the bag. Her friend took out a smaller bag of strawberries and a rather large rabbit. "From Peeta" Kantiss handed Madge a paper bag full of warm rolls. The brown haired girl turned to leave.

"Thank you" Madge said sweetly, looking down at the food. It wasn't apple crumble or ham but it would do. Later, Madge had the bread on a plate, centered on the wooden table. The rabbit was cleaned and chopped up. Letting it soak with some old vegetables in a stew. She stood back and looked at dinner, just as Gale was thumping the door closed behind him. His helmet dangled in his hand, the other was running through his shaggy hair.

She pretended to be checking the temperature of the rabbit bits. She heard his boots clunk over the floor as he made his way to her. His sturdy arms wrapped around her waist and his lips found the side of her neck, pressing a few little kisses there. "Yum" he whispered in her ear and she turned to swat him with a hand. He laughed and let her go, walking over to smell the rolls. He left the room to change.

Madge brought the pot of stew over and set it on the table. She got out a little dish for the fresh strawberries and dumped them in from the bag Katniss had brought them in. She set them next to the rolls. Checking over her work, Madge smiled slightly, pleased to have produced a healthy meal for the family. The rusting highchair was pressed up to the wooden table and she pulled it out towards her. "Gale…" she called and waited.

He came out of their room, buttoning up a flannel shirt over a dirty undershirt. Gale looked up from the buttons with a questioning look. "What's wrong?" he asked and leaned against the chair. She huffed, blowing the stray pieces of hair away from her face. She pointed to the closed door of the spare room. Madge had tutored town kids for a year for that extra bedroom. She was thankful she did, even though most of the kids were snobs.

"Get Pepper, would you?" she sighed and rested her hands on the small of her back. Gale nodded and pushed the door open to the baby's room. She sighed and sat down at the table, covering her eyes with her dirty hands. He came out gurgling baby language to his daughter and Madge peaked between her fingers to see it. Their dirty blonde baby girl was held up in front of her father, her cubby exposed legs kicking the air around.

Her mouth was open in a toothless smile of pure joy. Madge uncovered her face to see more of it. Freckles danced over the small bridge of her nose and coal dust was covering her arms, where Gale was holding her under the armpits. "Are these from Catnip?" he asked and shifted the baby onto his hip. Madge nodded and took the baby from him, popping her into the highchair. Pepper hit the tray with her hands, making an interesting sound.

Gale sat down across from her and took a roll from the plate, dragging it between his teeth. He dropped the rest of the roll onto his plate and started scooping out the stew. "The rabbit and strawberries are from Katniss as well" Madge said and took a roll from the center of the table, tore it into bits and dropped it onto the small plate for her daughter adding cut up rabbit bits as well. Little fingers poked the food.

"I still cannot believe she married him" Gale said in between bites. "I didn't think she liked him." Madge kept quiet and let Gale rant. It had only been a few months since Katniss announced her engagement to the baker's son. Now they were married and living in the back of the bakery. Madge shrugged when Gale met her eyes. "I mean it is her decision." He continued and cut up another piece of rabbit and carrot together. "It has advantages"

He said and held up his new roll and shaking it. Madge smiled bitter sweetly, "it does." Gale was quiet for a while, chewing and watching his daughter eat. Her wide gray eyes studied each piece she put in her mouth and her fingers were becoming wet from sticking them in her mouth. She finally noticed him watching her and stared at him until he looked back at his food. Madge reached out and patted down Pepper's hair. Gale's eyes smiled.

He reached across the table and took his wife's free hand. "I love you with all my heart" he told her honestly and rubbed his thumb over her raw skin. "No matter what happens, we're in this together. Through thick and thin" his eyes were sad now. "No matter what" he repeated. "From the day she turns twelve… to the end. Whenever that is" he said and looked over at Pepper. "You're my life" he whispered to Madge. "Nothing will change."

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